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Canseco still an entertainer

By Matt Michelone

For the Mirror

Jose Canseco belted three home runs into the left field bleachers Saturday night, even though it’s been awhile since he last took a few swings.

“I haven’t picked up a bat in a year,” he said. “I’m going to feel this tomorrow.”

He did, although, appreciate the opportunity to hit a few baseballs again.

“It brings back a lot of memories of taking (batting practice) when you were younger,” he said. “When you’re these guys’ age, 25, 27, you have so much stamina. You’re doing it everyday, you’re much younger, flexible.

“I had forgotten how much hitting takes out of you.”

The former major leaguer took part in a home run derby, threw out the first pitch and signed autographs for an hour as the Curve hung on 4-1 against the Erie SeaWolves before 7,033 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field on a second Star Wars Night.

He said PNG Field brought back some memories when he played for the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Colesium.

Canseco was defeated in the home run derby by George Roberts, who smacked five homers. The Windber native played minor league baseball as recently as 2015 with the Visalia Rawhide, the high-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Much like Friday night, the SeaWolves didn’t waste time getting on the board as Harold Castro led off the game with a single, and later scored on a fielding error by Kevin Newman.

The Curve meanwhile didn’t waste much time getting right to work offensively as Connor Joe belted a two-out double on a line drive to left field. He later scored on Edwin Espinal’s single to tie the game.

“The way Conor Joe is, you put the numbers aside,” Curve manager Michael Ryan said. “I put him in there every night, and he’s going to try to produce. That’s the type of player he is, that’s the type of guy he is.

“He’s going to work hard to become better each day. You challenge Connor with something, and he’s going to try to perfect it.”

The win improved the Curve home record to 14-3, the best in the Eastern League and is currently tied for the best in all of professional baseball.

Joe went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three runs scored. He’s now swinging .321, which makes him one of three Curve players in the top 10 in the Eastern League in batting with two home runs and 18 RBIs.

“My hitting coach, Kevin Riggs, has been working a lot with me,” Joe said. “Larry Sutton, our hitting coordinator, is in town now. They’ve just been working with me during (batting practice), cage work and trusting my preparation.”

Joe later scored in the sixth on an Espinal single to give the Curve the lead for good in the sixth.

“He stays within the moment,” Ryan said. “He has an approach, he sticks with it. That’s why he’s having success right now.”

It took until the eighth for the Curve to put the game away. That’s when Jerrick Suiter belted a single on a line drive, scoring two runs on the play following Joe’s third two-base hit of the evening.

“They move me around a lot in the field, and I look at as an opportunity to make an impact in that game, and give my team a chance to win every night,” Joe sad.

Curve starter Brandon Waddell wasn’t able to make it out of the fifth inning, going 42/3 innings, giving up one unearned run on four hits walking two and striking out three. Tate Scioneaux (5-1) grabbed the win tossing 31/3 frames giving up just three hits with a walk and a strikeout.

Artie Lewicki (2-2) took the loss, going 52/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Sean Keselica recorded his first save in the ninth.

Simpson injured

Third basemen Chase Simpson was pulled in the top of the seventh after fielding a pop fly in foul territory. He rolled his ankle on the play and was replaced by Wyatt Mathisen. Ryan said he will be re-evaluated today.

Game recap

Key player: Curve DH Connor Joe went 4-for-4 with 3 doubles and 3 runs scored.

Key play: RF Jerrick Suiter’s two-run single in the 8th put the game away.

Key stat: The Curve are now at a season-high 9 games over .500.

How they scored

Top 1st: Castro singled, scored on Newman error (0-1).

Bottom 1st: Joe doubled, scored on Espinal single (1-1).

Bottom 6th: Joe doubled, scored on Espinal double (2-1).

Bottom 8th: Joe doubled, Luplow intentionally walked, both score on Suiter double (4-1).

Next stop

Tonight: Erie at Altoona, 6 p.m.

Pitchers: Curve RHP Tanner Anderson (2-3, 4.00) vs. SeaWolves LHP Matt Crouse (3-1, 6.29)

Record: 24-15

Covering the bases

LEADING OFF: 3B Chase Simpson was pulled in the top of the seventh after fielding a pop fly in foul territory. He rolled his ankle on the play and was replaced by Wyatt Mathisen. Curve manager Michael Ryan said he will be re-evaluated today.

SAFE AT FIRST: This is the fourth straight game the Curve have recorded an error, their sixth in the time frame. SS Kevin Newman’s fielding miscue in the first led to the SeaWolves’ first run. The Curve, though, have been one of the better defensive teams in the league. Entering the game, they were tied for second with Reading. Both teams have totaled 24 errors.

STEALING SECOND: Despite the recent string of errors in the field, the Curve currently lead the Eastern League with 41 double plays.

ROUNDING THIRD: Beginning tonight, standard Sunday home game start times will move to 6 p.m. There is one exception on the schedule, and that comes on June 25 when the Curve wrap up a three-game series with Hartford. The standard 7 p.m. first pitch for Monday through Friday games will begin with the Curve’s seven-game homestand which gets underway on June 9 against Richmond.

HEADING HOME: The Curve are in the midst of a stretch of 10 home games in 14 days, and all of them are against Erie and their next opponent, the Akron RubberDucks. Akron will visit PNG Field for the next seven home games, which will start with a four-game series on Monday. The Curve will head to UPMC Park in Erie to meet the SeaWolves for a four-game series over Memorial Day weekend, before returning home for three more against the Ducks.

— Matt Michelone

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